Gold for GB’s Cashmore and Peasgood in Besançon Paratriathlon World Cup
GB’s Claire Cashmore and Alison Peasgood were both triumphant in their respective categories at the World Triathlon Para Cup that commenced on Sunday 13 June at the Nature Base of Grand Besançon, France.
This World Paratriathlon Event was cancelled in 2020 due to the epidemic, so the races were rearranged for Sunday June 13, in order for international Paratri athletes to gather from all corners of the globe to seek their qualification for the Tokyo Paralympic Games. To ensure the safety of the athletes all other general public and the semi-final D2 duathlon events were cancelled.
Claire Cashmore’s time in the PTS5 category was 01:11:56 over seven minutes ahead of Poland’s Marta Dzieciatkowska with her fellow team-mate Monika Belczewska taking third spot. The former Paralympic swimmer is aiming to make her Para-triathlon debut in Tokyo later this summer.
PTS5 category: Minimal impairments Athlete cycles on conventional bike and runs with or without the use of an approved prosthesis and/or supportive devices.
Alison Peasgood (B2) a Paratriathlon Paralympic silver medallist at Rio, and 3x European and also 2x world champion and her guide Hazel Smith were comfortable winners in the PTVI event almost two minutes clear of her nearest rival France’s Annouck Curzillat (B1)with Russian Ksenia Vibornykh (B1) taking third spot.
PTVI category: Visually impaired (B2 or B3) or blind (B1). Start times factored with blind athletes starting ahead of those with some vision (less than 10 percent). First to cross the finishing line in overall PTVI category is the winner. A guide is compulsory throughout the race and the cycling leg is done in tandem.
These ladies’ victories follow on from the podium success they both achieved at the 2021 World Triathlon Para Series in Leeds where Cashmore, 33, won silver and Peasgood, who is the same age, took bronze.
Besançon Triathlon, who hosted the event is the largest club in Franche-Comté and is licenced to work in the practice of Triathlon, Duathlon and all the associated disciplines registered in the FFTri register.
